Disclaimer: Middle Earth and its characters belong to JRR Tolkein… all except my twinlings! A scene in this chapter is taken and adapted from a TV drama McLeod's Daughters and a line taken almost straight from the episode involved is used. I own neither… but the scene was brilliant – it made me cry. I hope I do it justice!
Be warned this is little more angsty than usual!
Chapter Nine Grave Fears
"Ada! Aura-ad-da-da!" Identical voices rang through the halls of Imladris. Elrond looked up from Elrohir's face to the door in time to see Elemmire and Amdir rush in like a whirlwind.
"Look! Look!" the usually placid Elemmire waved a piece of parchment around above his head. Amdir followed the action. Elrond raised his eyebrows at the healthy pink coloured cheeks to the ink stains on the children's cuffs.
Elemmire scrambled onto Elrohir's lap his twin was following dangerously close. Elrohir gave a small gasp of surprise at being suddenly suffocated by the twins. Elrond concealed a grin remembering being often put in that uncomfortable position. Unlike his sons however Elemmire and Amdir weren't vying for supreme spot on their Ada's lap. For that Elrohir should be grateful.
"Look!" cried Amdir.
"Look!" cried Elemmire, his parchment waved under Elrohir's nose leaving an inky moustache.
Elrond did laugh in those moments. "I'm sure your Ada will look if you hand him the parchment."
Elrohir gave Elrond a withering look. Put his sons were looking up adoringly at him with large proud eyes. They handed their respective parchments over solemnly. Elrohir held the parchments at arms length.
"Ah ha… hmmm!"
"Ada you have the parchments upside down!" Elemmire exclaimed incredulously.
"Silly Ada," Amdir admonished as he turned the parchment over for Elrohir.
"Ah now I see," Elrohir replied his eyes glanced up at Elrond his eyes dancing in mirth. "Well aren't we clever little elflings your first Tengwar alphabet." He squinted at the corner of one of the parchments were there was a strange smudge.
"That's my thumb print!" Amdir pointed proudly.
"I'm sure Iauradar would love to see them!"
The young twins exchanged glances and simultaneously took their parchments and slid off Elrohir's lap. Elrond welcomed the youngsters to his lap and looked over their work. The parchment was filled with the spidery imitations of the alphabet, completely identical with the exception of Amdir's thumb print, which again he pointed out proudly.
During this time Elladan came to the door and watched with a grin. He too was sporting ink stained hands and what unmistakably a handprint on his cheek. 'Babysitting isn't too hard after all.'
Elladan's comment was meet with a laugh from Elrohir which floated on their telepathic link.
'I spent the whole afternoon teaching them Sindarin. Ask them what else I taught them.'
Elrohir was silent.
'Go on.'
So Elrohir asked.
The twins tilted their heads comically and glanced at Elladan who nodded his head in approval. Elrohir's ears were soon ringing with a simple phrase.
"Amin mela lle."
Elrohir glanced up at his twin brother and back to his beaming twins. "Amin mela lle," Elrohir almost choked. "Amin mela lle."
Elrohir felt his brother's presence move so that Elladan was standing right behind him his hand squeezing Elrohir's shoulder.
'They asked me. They thought you would want to know.'
Elrohir turned and nodded at his brother wordlessly. The tiny twins however excitable by their day's success were soon racing down the hall way calling for Erestor and Glorfindel.
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The afternoon had slowly turned to the stillness of early evening when Amdir came into the room in which Elrohir and Elladan were talking with the Rangers of the North.
Elrohir glanced up surprised that the youngster was unaccompanied. Perturbed that his sharp eyes had not spied Elemmire nor had his ears picked up the sound of a second patting footsteps, Elrohir took a step forward. Something was wrong he could feel it deep within his bones.
Amdir blinked slowly and glanced about the room looking for something. "Where's Elemmire?"
Elrohir felt as if he had been struck. "Isn't Elemmire with you?"
Amdir shook his head. "I went to sleep and Elemmire was not with me."
Elrohir glanced at the men. "Forgive me but I must go and find my other child."
"Lle lakwenien?"
Elrohir shook his head sadly and took Amdir's hand in his own and started to steer from the room. "Afraid not, Estel."
"I will help," the man Estel said simply and followed Elrohir and Elladan from the room.
Feeling himself loosing his calm exterior and his peace turning into a blinding panic, Elrohir quickly handed Amdir over to a random elf in the hall and told him to take the youngster to his apartments.
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Elrohir's felt as if he had called himself hoarse within the walls of Imladris but there was no answer from Elemmire.
Half of Imladris was now looking for the stray elfling. Elrond and Erestor had joined the search party early, looking for the child amongst the offices.
Nor was he in the visitors wing with King Thandruil or Legolas…
Elrohir looked out the window glumly. The search had been extended outside a little while ago. He sighed and dashed outside.
Glorfindel indicated to him the stables and the animal pens had been thoroughly searched.
Aldros nor any of the blacksmith had seen the elfling.
The gardens seemed to be quiet with no sign of Elemmire anywhere…
Elrohir let his panic gnaw its way through his guts. He was hungry but he felt incredibly numb at the same time. He knew if someone was to offer him something to consume he wouldn't be able to…
Oh where! Oh where had his elfling gone?
A recent memory stirred in his mind. With water and ducks and laughter. Gasping in horror Elrohir ran as fast as he could down to the lake. Elladan who could sense his moods followed…
Although he was of the elf kind Elrohir was gasping by the time he reached the edge of the pond.
"Elemmire! ELEMMIRE!" Elrohir bellowed. "Elemmire please come out! You're not in trouble! Come out!"
Elrohir took frantic steps forward but came to an abrupt halt as he step on something. Glancing downwards he saw that it was a piece of parchment. Bending down he did not have to lift it close to his eyes to see the Tengwar alphabet.
"No!" he whispered to the wind, closely his eyes tightly and pressing the paper to his chest. "No…"
Elrohir's eyes snapped open to behold the dark glossy calmness of the lake. Throwing the parchment behind him Elrohir ripped off his jerkin and plunged into the water.
"Elemmire…"
'Oh by the grace of the Valar please don't let him be drowned.'
Elrohir ducked his head underwater searching frantically for his child. He saw nothing but the swirling of the disturbed mud and small fish darting about his hands. He came up gasping for air. He ducked back under. And again. And again.
"Elrohir! Elrohir!" Elladan came splashing towards him and grabbed his shoulder. Elrohir tried to shake him off, but Elladan was persistent. "Elrohir stop."
"Leave me," Elrohir hissed in irradiation.
Elladan weighed his next words carefully. "Elrohir, if Elemmire is in here then… then it is a recovery not a rescue."
Elrohir clutched at his heart and wavered on the spot.
"If he is in there you can't do anything to save him."
"NO!" Elrohir ducked himself under again. Elladan stood in the middle of the lake at a loss of what to do. Should he stay and comfort his twin who would not hear him or should he return to Imladris and comfort Amdir.
Elrohir's head bobbed up from the water again. He sunk back down onto his knees however and let out an anguished cry.
Elladan waded over to him, plucked him up by his arm and trudged grimly back to shore. Not since the tragic demise of their dear mother had he seen his brother cry.
Both sons of Elrond heard the calls of the Imladris elves careening down the hill towards them. Elrohir sobbed breathlessly into his brother's chest. Elladan held his brother grimly and turned his head.
He was in time to see Elrond picking up the piece of discarded parchment his face ashen.
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Yes cruel cliffhanger…Very cruel of me I know. But I just love cliffhangers soooo much!
Aura-ad-da-da! – the twins' attempt at Iauradar
Iauradar – Grandfather
Amin mela lle. – I love you.
Lle lakwenien? - Are you joking?